Ignez - Tides (2024)

Ignez makes his Token comeback for a new format yet again, presenting his first ever LP with the Belgian label. One of the scene's most intriguing artists to emerge in the past few years, the young Dutchman has paved his road to acclaim by experimenting with sonic narratives and interpreting them with dance floor efficiency. Constantly working the conceptual intentions of his records, Ignez offers a refreshing take on club music by giving it his unmistakable touch of cinematic storytelling. 'Tides' is an ode to his personal connection with nature, and each track represents a shift in energy and emotional ambiance, rising and falling with each transition. With this approach, it only makes sense to release a project of this length; Ignez is able to tell his story through waves, washing over assertive rhythmic work with far off keys and soothing pads. Songs like the album's introduction 'Enchant' and 'Delusional Bond' inspire curiosity of what lies beyond murky waters and the impactful aftermath of these tracks explains the untameable quality of ocean tides through erratic percussion and razor-sharp sound design like in 'Bliss'. Ignez's synth work throughout 'Tides' is elusive if anything, swimming through his arrangements in an unpredictable manner. He tells the story of an environment that imposes the sometimes harsh rules of its territory with restless elements ready to jump out at any given moment. This feeling of almost powerlessness can be felt in 'Awakening' for example, a record that's bent on intrigue and suspense over a stomping four to the floor kick. Curiosity, anticipation, discovery: these are all things that can describe the chosen theme and, of course, Ignez's work as a composer. The album serves as a look into the respect the artist has for unstoppable energy and his translation of it thereof through the expressive sound design and thick atmospheres that propelled him to the forefront of his scene.